What is wisdom? Wisdom is what we gain when we learn the hard way. When we tackle something new, we discover problems, challenges, and resilience. This applies to everything. The greatest learning happens when we are struggling.

Sometimes we can avoid the heartache of learning about something we don’t know anything about by reading about a person who is going through the same thing. Other times we stumble across a good piece of advice when we ask others to help us with a problem.

None of us goes looking for trouble. It just sneaks up on us, when we think we are on track or think we have something figured out. We learn that what we thought we knew, we didn’t. Interestingly, we discover that the things we depend on are typically the things that cause the most pain when they break. Think about the last time your car broke down. Totally unexpected right?

Last year I had a huge problem with tires. I went to visit my sister to attend a comedy show in her neck of the woods. While we were on our way, we hit a huge pothole and blew out a tire. A month or so later, coming home from my sister’s I ran over a shock absorber that was left behind by a semitrailer. It blew out two tires simultaneously. Three tires in a matter of months. Not only was it expensive to repair, but an absolute pain in the butt because the second time delayed me for 4 hours. Needless to say, I try to avoid driving through Detroit (because of the horrific state of the highways that run through there).

One of the wisest things I’ve discovered is the beauty of taking little steps each day toward a goal I want to achieve. You’d be amazed how many books you can read in a year by reading one chapter a day. You’d be amazed by how much you can write if you write a little each day. This can be applied to anything you do. I tend to like touching a whole slew of items each day. It keeps things fresh and it allows me to diversify my attention to many things, instead of focusing on just one thing. I do not multitask; I monotask. I focus on one thing at a time, but work across numerous areas each day. I write, meditate, exercise, read, take classes, run errands, and so on. Each task I accomplish contributes to a life-goal or a short-range or medium-range goal. That’s me. You may not like hopping and skipping around. You may not have the time.

When you are setting up your day, evaluate your productivity. Are you moving forward with your goals or spinning your wheels? Maybe you’ve taken on too much or you are trying to focus on something that just isn’t right for you right now. You also have to take into consideration that there will be days you can’t do anything because of outside circumstances. My nephew was in town this last week. He only visits once a year, so I wanted to take advantage of him being here by hanging out and doing things with him. This weekend I’m scheduled for a religious retreat. The retreat starts Friday and does not end until Sunday afternoon. Needless to say, this means that my priorities will take a back seat to this event. This is one thing to consider as well. You have to prioritize what is most important and put some of your daily to-dos on hold to take advantage of rare events that have a greater impact on your well-being.

Today’s article was spurred by the article I have referenced below. Give it a look. It’s a short one and will only take a few minutes to read, but it’s worth it. It caused me to think about wisdom in a new light. We really do gain when times are hard or our schedules are thrown into a tizzy. We have to improvise and adapt. This comes when we have developed the wisdom to realize that some days you just have to “ride the wave”.

Focus is so important in our lives. Focus is what allows us to finish a project we start and begin working on the next. Focus ensures that we only choose to pursue a few things at once instead of too many.

This is the primary reason I finally broke down and began only working toward’s my goals in 13-week chunks. It is so much easier to remain focused on the goals I have set in 13 weeks, vs. setting goals for 6 months or a year. It also forces me to choose what my top three goals are for this particular 13-week period.

Focusing on 3 goals over 13 weeks is so much easier than trying to focus on more. Do we have to make a choice? Yes. Do we have to give up on everything else? No. Write down anything you want to do when it comes to mind. When it comes time to attack a new set of goals add that one into the three you are going to pursue if it still holds some importance against the other goals you want to achieve.

By remaining focused on smaller amounts of goals, you greatly improve your odds of actually checking them off of your list. Focus wins.

This is a really important quote and one that I come back to over and over again. When you work for someone else, you should expect to be compensated, unless it is a charitable event or helping out a family member.

If you’re like me, I really enjoy writing. I may opt to use a paying service like Patron or something else in the future, but for now, I enjoy working on this blog for the sake of the writing. I am also working on some books. A nonfiction book on Technical Recruiting and some ideas about some novels I’d like to write and publish. Writing a book is not an easy task. If it were, everyone would do it. I will be seeking a fee for my books, once completed.

This is all about personal preference. If you are seeking an income from blogging or some other service you provide for others—go for it. If your work is worth something, people will pay you for it.

What I think is most important is your time. If you are faced with a conflict between doing your writing or some other personal work, your work should be the priority. Don’t let people guilt you out. Your time is exactly that—your time. Don’t be afraid to say “no” to other people, particularly if what they want you to do will detract from what you are focused on.

I don’t want to be seen as evil hearted, but there’s a big difference in helping family or friends and saying “yes” to everyone. This will put you in a hard place and could cause you to miss deadlines you’ve set for yourself. Then the resentment will kick in.

Be willing to give of yourself to others, but not by sacrificing your personal goals and aspirations. These should be paramount in your life and should not be sacrificed by being too much of a “yes” man or woman.

“You have to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.” – George Lorimor

This reminds me of the importance of planning. Some folks like to plan at night before they go to bed, while others like to plan in the morning. Still, others who don’t plan at all and wing it throughout the day.

I like to strike a balance when I plan. I have certain priorities that I must hit every day. These priorities span reading, writing, exercising, meditating, and monitoring. Subsequently, I plan out the rituals that will allow me to do these things and only change them when I have a planned disruption (like a doctor’s appointment or a trip). Then I have to plan around these things to continue to make progress on my priorities.

From time to time my priorities change. When this is the case, I change my rituals and adjust accordingly. The key for me personally is repetition. As a military veteran, I am very used to a regimented day. Get up, physical exercise, hygiene, and breakfast, etc. (You get the idea). It is amazing how much you can do by doing just a little bit toward your goals.

I am a creature of habit. I like doing the same things at the same time of day. I’m still adjusting to my two-a-day exercise routine, but this will become a habit after a few more weeks.

Visualize what you want, plan your day to achieve the things you want, and you’ll achieve the things you focused on or at least learn more about how to get where you want to be.